Many of you have asked the important question: WHY DO WE GET INVOLVED IN POLITICS? The simple answer is this: We must protect our industry as we move forward, and for better or for worse, one way we can do this is by electing people who understand our issues.

The construction industry has been devastated by the recession and without the support we received from the current Governor and certain members of the Legislature it would have been significantly worse in our region. As Governor, David Paterson insisted that GlobalFoundries negotiate with us on the Chip Fab plant in Malta, NY, resulting in safe, family-sustaining jobs for more than 1,000 construction workers in the capital district over the course of several years.

There have been a few examples of this type of leadership during this last cycle, and we are not going to be rubber-stamping any campaigns or candidates. We will be endorsing candidates who have a proven record of protecting and growing the unionized construction industry in Upstate New York and Vermont.

Willingness to maintain dialogue with us and a candidate's interest in carefully considering solutions to New York’s fiscal crisis while protecting New York’s working families is what we look for in elected leaders. We must protect our industry as we move forward, and for better or for worse, one way we can do this is by electing people who understand our issues.

Please visit our political page for information on our endorsement process and our list of endorsed candidates.

The deadline to register for the Primary has already passed, but there is still time to register for the General Election; the deadline for the General is October 8th. If you aren't sure if you're registered, you can visit the NYS Board of Elections and search for your registration status and polling place.